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CREATING A HEALTHCARE APP THAT DRIVES SUSTAINED PATIENT ENGAGEMENT

Blog

Tue May 2, 2017

With the number of Americans who own smartphones steadily increasing – recent research indicates that more than two-thirds of adults own some type of smartphone — the number of people using apps to help manage their healthcare is also increasing. Healthcare providers, practices, payers, and other stakeholders in the delivery of healthcare are also beginning to see apps as a means to better engage patients in their own care, while simultaneously improving outcomes and reducing costs.

Yet with all of the hype (and hope) around healthcare apps, there are some who question their value. Last year, The Commonwealth Fund conducted a study in which researchers reviewed more than 1,000 patient-facing apps designed for those with chronic conditions, including heart disease, COPD, substance abuse, mental health issues, asthma, and more. Of the apps the study reviewed, fewer than half were deemed potentially useful to patients in terms of engagement, quality, and safety.

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The Problem: Patient Engagement

The issue of low patient engagement with apps is one that’s getting attention across the board. Even at the esteemed Cleveland Clinic, apps are failing to get the patient buy-in required to generate real results. In fact, during an industry event, one Cleveland Clinic leader noted that the hospital has 22 different apps, each devoted to a single function. While individually, the apps can be useful (for example, a wayfinding app within the facility), overall such a disjointed effort only confuses and frustrates users, and is unlikely to reach levels of engagement that truly make a difference.

The question then becomes one not of whether patient-facing apps are a good idea, but how to develop a healthcare application management strategy and create apps that drive patient engagement and move patients forward in their healthcare goals. Given that nearly half of all health professionals have plans to use mobile apps with their patients by 2020, it’s important to think about those goals now and take steps to encourage meaningful engagement with your app.

Patient Activation and App Engagement

Researchers in the Commonwealth Fund study found that the potential engagement in an app was largely determined by a patient’s own level of activation in their healthcare. Patients who had low levels of activation — that is, they rely almost entirely on their doctors to make decisions for them and are less likely to comply with instructions or make changes to ensure wellness — are generally not all that engaged in apps either. These patients tend to use apps mainly for information, and to receive alerts or reminders about medication, appointments, and other tasks.

As patients become more activated in their care, engagement with apps also increases. In fact, the researchers found that apps that offer more interactive elements, such as competitions or gamification of health activities, peer support, and communication with their providers, are most appealing to activated patients, who are looking for more than basic reminders or tracking capabilities.

So what does this mean for healthcare app developers? It’s important for your app to meet patients where they are, and to offer features that are meaningful to them at their stage of activation. In other words, patients who aren’t already activated likely won’t respond to an app that gives them points when they work out or watch their salt intake — at least not right away.

On the other hand, patients who are already active in their care are likely to want more than a simple interface that only reminds them of appointments and prescription refills. As you develop your app, it’s important to carefully evaluate your audience and how you want them to engage with the tool, so you avoid creating something irrelevant or overwhelming.

You can do this by creating custom segments, based on your users’ in-app behaviors, preferences, context, and other factors. This allows you to target content and features to specific users, and create an experience that is meaningful and relevant to them.

Engagement Best Practices

Beyond considering patient activation levels, many of the best practices to increase healthcare app engagement are the same as those for any other app.

First Time User Experience Matters. The experience that a patient has when he or she first uses the app can be a powerful influence on their future use of the app. A bad experience on the first use can keep them from coming back, or even lead them to delete the app without a second try. Make it easy to login, provide simple navigation and explanations of features (and allow users to skip the introduction on subsequent uses), and basically roll out the red carpet for new users.

Seek Feedback. Use survey tools to get feedback from users on what they like and dislike about the app. Use this feedback to tweak your app, if needed.

Use Messaging. Your app should change and evolve over time. Use messaging, including push notifications and updates, to keep users informed and engaged. If your app is the same now as it was two years ago, you will undoubtedly see a decline in engagement. Conversely, fresh content and new, useful features can increase engagement.

Healthcare apps can be an important part of your patient engagement strategy, but only when patients respond to them. By focusing on engagement from the start, you can capture attention right out of the gate, and keep your patients on the road to activation.

To connect with one of PointClear Solutions’ technology experts, or to learn more about this blog topic (or our digital strategy, design, development, and/or management services), Contact Us. (And don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn for more great content!)

DAVID KARABINOS

CEO, PRESIDENT & BOARD CHAIRMAN

As President and CEO of PointClear Solutions, David works with the board and executive team driving the vision and strategies of the company. His 36+ years of technology and business experience have helped PointClear achieve exceptional and steady growth since he joined the company in 2010. David honed his skills during the first 18 years of his career in Fortune 500 companies. Since then he has used those skills to create and build numerous companies including eHealthClaim, EquaTerra, Halo Monitoring, American Bank of Huntsville, Harvest Business Advisors and PointClear Solutions. David earned a BS in Business Management/Finance from the University of Alabama Birmingham.

BLAINE ANDERSON

BOARD DIRECTOR, FOUNDER

Blaine co-founded PointClear in 2006 and has been heavily involved in all aspects of the company as it has grown from a startup to a market leader. Blaine started his career at NASA and spent 17 years there studying vibration and acoustic effects in the Space Station and the Space Shuttle programs. Prior to PointClear, Blaine was involved at startups in the healthcare and software development areas, including eHealthClaim and ComFrame. Blaine earned an engineering degree from Auburn University, and currently serves as a mentor at numerous incubators in the Nashville area.

Daren McCormick

COO, EVP & BOARD DIRECTOR

As Chief Operating Officer, Daren works closely with the company’s leadership to guide and direct the day-to-day operations of the company. For over 25 years, Daren has served in progressively more responsible leadership positions across a wide range of privately held and publicly traded companies, including “Fortune” companies. Daren has dedicated his career to the delivery of creative solutions in the healthcare information technology marketplace. Daren holds a degree in Computer Science with a concentration in Software Engineering.

NEAL EVANS, PhD

BOARD DIRECTOR, FOUNDER

Neal Evans, PhD., is both a founder and board member at PointClear Solutions. His interests include artificial intelligence, computational physics, and evolutionary algorithms. His contributions range from the theoretical to the practical, including advances in machine learning, physics, and theoretical optics, and application of these concepts to health informatics. He is a member of the American Physical Society (APS), the Optical Society of America (OSA), and the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE). He has published in scientific journals and books. Neal is a former board member of the A.G. Gaston Boys & Girls Club and volunteers for Carpenter’s Hands in Birmingham, Alabama.

LEE FARABAUGH

BOARD DIRECTOR, FOUNDER

Lee Farabaugh is both a member of the Board of Directors and founder of PointClear Solutions. She is a senior technology design, operations, and innovation expert, with more than a decade of experience in financial technology (fintech) and healthcare IT. Currently, Lee is serving as chief operating officer of Core10, a company that she also co-founded. Lee holds a bachelor’s degree in studio art from Wake Forest University, a master’s degree in human-computer interaction from Georgia Tech, and a master’s degree in health informatics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she is an adjunct instructor. Before joining PointClear in 2006, she was a usability engineer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SHAWN EWING

VICE PRESIDENT OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT

As Vice President of Project Management, Shawn oversees a team of project managers to ensure the successful delivery of client’s software development engagements. Shawn is a motivated, personable business professional with over 12 years of product and project management experience. Since joining PointClear Solutions in 2011, he has applied his project management skills to numerous projects spanning several months to multi-year engagements. He is accomplished in project management methodologies, web and mobile development projects, project planning, team building and communication. Shawn earned a BS in Education from Missouri State University and is a Certified Scrum Master (CSM).

THADD SELDEN

PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT

As a Principal Architect, Thadd helps PointClear Solutions design innovative and scalable web applications and mobile app back-ends. Thadd has a degree in Physics and Math and started his career in defense. After spending 7 years building ground control systems for unmanned systems, first for the Navy and later for Raytheon, Thadd moved on to work on web technologies. He has been using Ruby on Rails since its infancy and has helped launch dozens of successful web and mobile projects.

TOMMY WHITE

VICE PRESIDENT, SOLUTIONS MANAGEMENT

For more than 20 years, technology has been at the center of Tommy White’s career. Across multiple industries, including industrial automation, process control, banking, retail, and healthcare, he has used this central theme to make great ideas a reality. Among the leading international organizations with which Tommy has worked are Siemens, BBVA, and InfluenceHealth. Leaning on degrees in both computer science and psychology, he fully understands that solutions are not independent topics, but rather a choreographed dance between business, technologies, and end users.

Tommy has been a part of the PointClear Solutions team since early 2016 and serves as Vice President, Solutions Management. He is based out of the Birmingham, Alabama, office and his team is responsible for establishing the strategic services that PointClear clients and partners take advantage of for long-term planning, roadmap definition, and execution. PointClear’s proven Solutions process is both a core driver for success, and an accelerator for any multi-phase, multi-platform solutions.

SHAWN FARRAR

SOLUTIONS DIRECTOR

Solutions Director Shawn Farrar joined PointClear Solutions in 2011 and offers expertise in enterprise and business strategy, project management, product management, business analysis, and vendor management. Previously, he served as a global project manager at Apple and a manager, cloud systems, at Hertz Global Holdings. Shawn holds a Bachelor of Science degree in human factors from the University of Illinois and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in health informatics from Northwestern University.

MICHAEL ATKINS

VICE PRESIDENT, TECHNICAL SERVICES

Michael Atkins joined PointClear Solutions in 2017 and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company’s technical services functions, including management of a team of architects and engineers.

Before joining PointClear, Michael spent several years with Change Healthcare, where he served as the company’s director of Applications Development, Engagement Solutions. Prior to this, he was a director of Healthcare Clinical Solutions Development with Walgreens.

Michael holds a BPA in computer science and accounting from Mississippi State University.

CHRIS HAMMACK

VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Chris Hammack brings to the PointClear Solutions team more than 20 years of healthcare industry experience. A seasoned sales and business development leader, he most recently served Greenway Health as a regional vice president. He offers expertise in population health and revenue cycle operations, among other areas of healthcare.

Chris holds a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is also a Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) and holds various other networking, management, and sales certifications, including one from the Sandler sales training program.

CHRIS KARABINOS

VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Chris Karabinos has been with PointClear Solutions since 2011, serving in various business development positions, including sales, marketing and partnership development. As vice president of Business Development, he has helped develop PointClear’s business in the healthcare technology market nationally, as well as in the Southeast United States.

Previously, Chris served eHealthClaim, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, and ChoicePoint. He is very active in the HIT community in Georgia, serving on the boards of TAG-Health, Health 2.0 Atlanta and Kennesaw State University’s Healthcare Management & Informatics School. Chris has also served on the HIT Leadership Summit’s Steering Committee since 2012. Chris holds a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from Auburn University. He resides in Atlanta, Georgia.